A Home committee listening to on abortion restrictions took an surprising flip Thursday when a Democratic witness who works for Deliberate Parenthood testified that males can grow to be pregnant.

Dr. Bhavik Kumar, medical director for main and trans care at Deliberate Parenthood Gulf Coast, replied within the affirmative after being requested by Rep. Andrew Clyde, Georgia Republican, if males may grow to be pregnant.

“So males can have pregnancies, particularly trans males,” Dr. Kumar instructed the Home Oversight and Reform Committee.

The physician didn’t elaborate on which cisgender males may grow to be pregnant or how.

Mr. Clyde sought clarification, asking, “So are you saying {that a} organic feminine who identifies as a person and subsequently turns into pregnant is, quote, a person? Is that what you’re saying?”

Dr. Kumar pushed again, telling him such questions are “actually lacking the purpose” at a listening to about abortion, earlier than affirming his response.

“Any person with a uterus might have the aptitude of changing into pregnant, whether or not they’re a lady or a person,” Dr. Kumar mentioned.

Mr. Clyde was unpersuaded. “OK, we’re achieved. We’re achieved. This isn’t difficult. Let me inform you, if an individual has a uterus and is born feminine, they’re a lady,” he mentioned.

Democrats have struggled with find out how to outline women and men because the transgender rights motion seeks to redefine gender primarily based on self-identification, resulting in memorable feedback at hearings reminiscent of then-Supreme Court docket Justice nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson declaring in March that “I’m not a biologist.”

Mr. Clyde, an Iraq and Kuwait fight veteran who owns a firearms enterprise, proceeded to offer a biology lesson to Dr. Kumar, a board-certified household medication doctor.

“That’s not a person, and the overwhelming majority of the world considers that to be a lady as a result of there are organic variations between women and men,” Mr. Clyde mentioned. “I imply, clearly, any highschool biology class teaches that women and men have completely different chromosomes. Females are XX chromosome and males are XY chromosome. I can’t consider it’s essential to say this, however males can’t get pregnant and can’t give start no matter how they determine themselves.”

The listening to, “Inspecting the Hurt to Sufferers from Abortion Restrictions and the Menace of a Nationwide Abortion Ban,” noticed Democrats rip Republicans for state restrictions on entry whereas Republicans accused Democrats of pushing for limitless abortion.

Dr. Kumar mentioned that he had carried out “possible hundreds” of abortions, however Mr. Clyde questioned the Democrats’ determination to have him testify.

“Why on this planet would Democrats have introduced in an individual whose title is director of trans look after an abortion listening to when solely organic ladies can grow to be pregnant?” requested Mr. Clyde.